This clever ad reminds us of how Indian men hardly do any household work

From washing powders to cooking, it's always women who are shown as doing and being responsible for household chores in advertisements in India. According to a report on gender disparities in various nations, conducted by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Indian men on an average spend only 19 minutes per day on unpaid housework and are ranked far below in a list that is topped by men in Slovenia and Denmark who spend 114 and 107 minutes on an average.

This advertisement from Lloyd, an electronic appliance company, takes up the subject as it shows a husband and wife shopping for a washing machine. The store staff asks the husband if he is looking for any specific model, to which he points towards his wife and replies, “Ask her, washing clothes is her department”. Her response should gladden the heart of those rooting for gender equality.

India consistently ranks quite low on various measures of gender equality. The United Nations placed India at 132 out of 148 countries in its recent gender inequality index. The fact that Indian workplace tends to be male-centric could have something to do with men spending less time doing housework, but as more women joining the workforce, even in those areas which were traditionally considered male domains, this trend should hopefully change.